Korean Job Discussion Forums

[canuckistan]

Anyone's grandpa ever have one of these?
www.birchwoodbeauties.com
The inventory button is on the top right. There are a few Spartans up for grabs. The interiors are birch and oak--click on a pic to see the insides.

I bought a 1957 Spartan Royal Manor a couple of months ago off Craigslist. Stinky good deal @ 2 grand. It had been sitting in an AZ RV park for the last 15 years. Not trashed, just dirty and in need of having the wood refinished. The aluminium skin is in great shape. There's 33' of wood to refinish though. Am doing a "reno-lite", but some people spend up to 50 g's refurbishing these trailers, or doing custom jobs on the insides. The aluminium polishes up to a nice shine.

A few months ago I had no idea these existed until I started looking for an RV/travel trailer. I came to the conclusion that the newer stuff is expensive, poorly built, and often looks like a bordello madam decorated it. Then I stumbled onto a Spartan and the strange world of restoring vintage trailers.

Well these days my neck and shoulders are all jacked up from sanding the ceilings, and my hands/arms are buzzed out from holding a sander all day. What a *%!?@!#!! job!!! Almost finished though---once the varnish and new linoleum floor goes down it's going to look mint.
It's going to function as an insta-cottage on some land this summer.
I've decided I'm on the lookout for a Spartan Executive Mansion--8 x 50 ft....one of the largest they ever built...hard to find, but what a pad!

[blaseblasphemener]

That is a great idea! What an amazing deal! I'm very jealous. I hope to do the same thing one day. I heard there are clubs that meet up all across N.America with those trailers, so to get one for that price sounds really incredible. Post some pics when you are done!

[Pligganease]

[captain kirk]

Where are the wings and the propeller?^^

[peppermint]

When I was a kid, and my parents decided it would be a good idea to drive from Ontario to Newfoundland, apparently one of the clubs that blaseblasphemer mentioned had the same idea, because we must've passed fifty or sixty of them over a couple of days Always thought they were great looking

[canuckistan]

Once I saw ours on Craigslist I knew we had to have it. Great price, not trashed, and freshly posted--lucky. They don't last long on the market when they're in reasonably good shape and cheap. You could sell off just the aluminium for 2 g's. But hub was lollygagging in bed and I just knew he was going to say "we'll talk about it later" and it would have been sold. So I made the decision, called the sellers, and got it for 2 g's (they'd wanted $2,500) Then I informed hub of my purchase All he said was "ya, I figured you'd go and do something like this." He was a little horrified. Especially when I said it was in AZ and needed to be picked up and towed home. Turns out ithe RV park was 20 minutes from his uncle's house--how perfect was that!! Good egg that he is, he went and got it.
He blew the transmission on his truck moving it from the RV park to his uncle's house--not because of the trailer (6000 lbs)--evidently the trani was already *beeped*--a question of "when" rather than "if". 4 days and $2,600 later....hub wasn't fun to talk to for those few days. It was like his truck had betrayed him. I think it's a North Dakotan thing.

If I'd have known about these trailers while I was in Korea I would have already started looking for that Executive Mansion!!! Some lucky person snagged this one for $500, beautiful condition!!! This one's a 1957 model with the "aircraft trim" styling the same as ours:
http://www.spartantrailer.com/trailer%20ads/Ads2005/sale88.html

This Executive Mansion is up for grabs in AZ....for $20,000. A monster. I want one--not for 20 g's though


Sometimes you get lucky and peple just want them off the property for a minimum of $. Or free.."just take it away please"...even if they're trashed it's relatively easy to rebuild the interior--most can people can run a saw and a screwdriver eh.

This guy documented his restoration: http://jayperkins.com/spartan/

2 little old ladies lived in our Sparty at the RV park in AZ for the last 15 years. They didn't believe in curtain rods, no, pushpins instead Some of the birch panels next to the windows, and oak trim in other places looked like Barbie took a Barbie-sized shotgun to them. Pinholes everywhere.
Wood filler and a brown felt pen do a pretty good job of covering up those. Some panels I just replaced--birch ply readily vailable at Home Depot but the quality of the birch veneer is much poorer than what originally was made 50 years ago. I have to put the new panels in the sun first so they'll darken up a bit and match the existing stuff.
I'm taking my time fixing things because I'm gobsmacked this trailer is in such good shape after 51 years. So I'd like it to last another 50. Turqouise melamine counters, bathroom, aluminium trim--it's hilariously retro. Because of the way they're built Spartans are *really* easy to work on as well--everything screws together.
The Getty/Spartan Aircraft Company started making these after WW2 when planes were no longer needed. The aluminium skin is aircraft-grade (not rinky-dink). They were perfectly set up to turn these out. The two front windows (curved) are plexiglass http://www.tulsaworld.com/common/printerfriendlystory.aspx?articleID=071103_5_E1_hCraf53676
The more popular models are the smaller ones (25 to 30' long) which people pour a pile of $ into refurbishing or doing custom interiors, then they pull them around to shows and campgrounds. I think the larger models are perfect for putting on some land.

This is Royal Manor like ours that's been restored, except it's a '58--pretty much the same:


This is ours whilst still sitting in AZ--the hood over the windows was an after-market add-on:

The kitchen before we got to work:

I have more pics of everything torn down...I've made a fine mess ....but this requires some organization. I'll post those tonight if my fingers aren't too crippled; I still have some ceiling to do today.

This is the trailer's ultimate destination this summer: 40 acres of Rocky Mountains @ 10,800ft... scenic splendor befitting a Sparty:

Actually, we just don't have the time to build a shack And I like the aspect of having something much more substantial between us and the wildlife than a pop-up.

[Rteacher]

'Ya-ta boy" expressed concern that with the world economy apparently headed depression ala the 1930s he might end up having to live in a cardboard box when he retires soon.

Might be a good time - especially for freespending oldtimers like me - to at least invest in a trailer.

[cangel]

Tenement on wheels... Awesome. Don't make 'em like these anymore...

[canuckistan]

[canuckistan]

I forgot to mention 1 great aspect of dropping a travel trailer on some land--you get around having to apply for a building permit because a trailer/RV is not a permanent structure (with a foundation).

The only thing that can screw that up is a "homeowners association" that has rules about what you can and can't put on the land.
If you want vacant land and to be free to do what you want with it make sure there's none of that silliness before you buy.

[Ukon]

Holy cow, I couldn't imagine trying to drive that executive mansion out on the road.

[canuckistan]